Favorites stumble, races open up
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
There were five undefeated teams when play began this past weekend. There is just one now. And no one was spared as favorites fell in each conference.
The shockwaves began early Saturday
afternoon in the MEAC where previously winless and
hapless Delaware State (1-4, 1-0 MEAC) upended BCSP
No. 2 and nationally-ranked (I-AA, No. 17)
Hampton (4-1, 2-1 MEAC), 28-23 in Dover.
Not long after that, equally winless and punchless Norfolk State (1-3, 1-1 MEAC) added to the drama by knocking off BCSP No. 7 and defending Mid Eastern Athletic Conference champ North Carolina A&T (2-3, 0-1 MEAC), 27-14 in Norfolk.
But things were just getting started.
In perhaps the day's battle royale, unbeatens Albany State and Tuskegee, ranked third and fifth respectively by the BCSP, staged one for the ages, as Albany State (5-0, 4-0 SIAC) scored on a 52-yard Hail Mary pass on the game's final play to complete a 26-point fourth quarter and stun the Golden Tigers (3-1, 1-1 SIAC) and their home fans, 33-29. The Golden Rams now have the only unblemished record in black college football.
But again, the day wasn't over.
Later in the SIAC evening, Miles (2-3, 2-2 SIAC), who had struggled to a 1-3 start, delighted its home fans by knocking off high-flying, undefeated BCSP No. 6, Fort Valley State (5-1, 4-1 SIAC), 21-3.
The CIAA was not spared as the top teams in the East Division, Virginia State (4-2, 2-2) and Bowie State (3-3, 2-2), went down to Elizabeth City State (2-4, 1-3) and Shaw (4-2, 2-2).
And in the day's coup de grace Saturday night in Montgomery, Al., defending SWAC champ Southern (3-2, 2-0 SWAC W) came from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to beat previously unbeaten BCSP No. 1 Alabama State (3-1, 2-1 SWAC E), 42-41, scoring on a 32-yard pass with two seconds left in the game to tie the score and then adding the PAT with no time on the clock for the win.
Whew!
While the results were heartbreaking for some, especially Tuskegee and Alabama State, they breathe new life into conference races that appeared destined for predicable finishes.
MEAC
The wins by Delaware State and Norfolk
State, traditionally teams at the bottom of the league, were
the first league wins for first-year head coach
Al Lavan of DSU and second-year head man
Willie Gillus of NSU. Getting the victories over kingpins NC A&T
and Hampton, teams picked to finish 1-2 in preseason
predictions, really opens things up in the MEAC. Just how much
will be evident after games this Saturday.
The upstarts get another chance to shake things up this weekend against South Carolina State (3-1, 0-0) and Bethune-Cookman (3-1, 2-0), teams picked behind A&T and Hampton in preseason forecasts. B-CC hosts Delaware State for homecoming in Daytona Beach in a 4 p.m. start while SC State travels to Norfolk State for a 6 p.m. game.
Earlier, A&T hosts Morgan State (0-2, 1-4) at 1:30 p.m. in the 2004 Aggie Homecoming game that will be carried as part of the ISM / MEAC television package. Howard (2-2, 0-1) hosts Charleston Southern at 12 noon while Hampton hosts Gardner-Webb at 1 p.m. in non-conference tilts.
SWAC
After turning the tables on Alabama State in
Montgomery, Southern continues its road trip vs.
SWAC Eastern Division opponents with a date Saturday
in Huntsville, Al., at homecoming (3 p.m.) vs.
Alabama A&M (3-2, 3-0 E), the new East Division leader.
The Jaguars travel next week to New Orleans to
meet Jackson State before going to Alcorn State
on Oct. 23.
Alabama State tries to rebound when it meets Jackson State (1-3, 1-0 E) Saturday in Mobile, Al., (3 p.m.) in a key E. Div. matchup at the Gulf Coast Classic. JSU had a week off this past weekend after breaking a 10-game losing streak with a win Sept. 18 over Mississippi Valley State. MVSU (0-5, 0-3 E) looks for its first win when it hosts Grambling State (2-2, 1-2 W).
Ark.-Pine Bluff, under new coach Mo Forte is 3-1 overall and atop the W. Div. standings with 2-0 mark. The Golden Lions travel to the Windy City's Soldier Field for a division date at the Chicago Classic (3 p.m.) with Texas Southern. TSU (0-5, 0-3 W) is looking for its first win under new coach Steve Wilson. Prairie View (2-2, 1-2 W) hosts Alcorn St. (2-2, 1-1 E).
SIAC
Tuskegee's devastating loss to Albany State
and Fort Valley's loss to Miles leaves Albany State at
the head of the SIAC race. The Golden Rams have
four conference dates left, three of them against teams at
the bottom of the standings. They have an
out-of-conference date in Macon, Ga., Saturday with
Savannah State in the 7th Music City Classic.
Tuskegee won't have time to lick its wounds as they travel to Columbus, Ga., for the 69th Morehouse-Skeege Classic. Morehouse (2-2, 1-3) badly needs a win to stay in contention.
Fort Valley State entertains Kentucky State (5-1, 3-1) in a matchup of teams positioned behind Albany State in the standings.
CIAA
W. Div. front-runner North Carolina
Central avoided the upset bug with a narrow 10-7 victory
over St. Augustine's Saturday. The Eagles (5-1, 3-0
W) begin the stretch drive for a division title over the
final month of the season with a big matchup Saturday
at two-time defending division and conference champion
Fayetteville State (4-2, 2-1 W).
In the East, Bowie State hosts Elizabeth City State for homecoming (1 p.m.) in Bowie, Md., as does Shaw with Va. Union (1-5, 1-2) in Raleigh, N.C.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.